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Just finished watching this movie, and I must say I really enjoyed every single moment of it! Bonus point for having a happy end.

Although the sci-fic elements did confuse me, at least the storyline is understandable. Animation is awesome, especially towards the end. Music is equally awesome. Emotional impact is excellent. I think I like this movie more than 5cm because of the happy end.

I watched 5cm per Second beforehand, and enjoyed that, but I soon realized this was basically the same thing all over again, except worse. It was dry and boring, the characters were all so shallow, and the scifi elements were quite bland.

It also didn't help that the entire time I felt like this movie had its bloom effect on way to high, and for way to long (read: the entire movie). In fact, this seems to be like a defining style for Shinkai (as it's alsp present in 5cm PS) and it gets aesthetically boring quite fast.

Perhaps it may just be that I've just been spoiled by master storytellers like Satoshi Kon, Mamoru Hosoda, and Miyazaki who know how to utilize the medium of animation itself to beautifully unravel a story.

i agree that this is probably my least favorite Shinkai work, probably because i've watched it the least, though its not to say i don't like it. the fact that you only watched half of it is probably the reason why you don't like it. the first half is a flash back with Hiroki remembering his childhood with Sayuri and how they separated. the second half is in the present and deals with them trying to overcome the problem with the tower. needless to say, the second half is much better than the first half.

All of Shinkai's movies have the same overall theme: separation. he just does it in different ways every time. In Byousoku it was separation by time, in Voices, it was separation by distant, and in Promised Place, it was emotion. if you don't enjoy watching him tell his story in different ways, you probably won't enjoy watching any other of his movies. his animation style is also love it or hate it. the vast majority of people love it. its very aesthetically pleasing and spawned a whole bunch of imitators. though if you don't like it, its your loss.

Most of what was shown was a flashback, however when he's recounting everything, he hadn't met up with Saiyuri again. The tower was the last scene in the story chronologically.

Was it really the last scene? Wasn't the beginning in fact the end? I noticed this recently, in the start he says, 'It was before the war, when the huge island called Ezo was still a foreign territory'. Wouldn't it stop being foreign after the end, after he throws the missile? What war is he talking about here? It cant be WW II. I am confused He does look bigger in the beginning, as in, a working adult and not in school They show Tokyo I think and then he is visitng his hometown reminiscing the past.
Where in the time-line does the beginning fit? This makes the beginning the end, and hence sad...I don't want one of my favourite movies to become sad suddenly

But the narration seems to agree with you. At least he is speaking in the present tense after 3 yrs. So I must have not understood something... Can someone please explain what he says at the beginning and if he looks older than a school boy?

the beginning is the late middle portion of the story. he's making his way back to the shack before the plane is rebuilt. once he gets there, and they start working on it again, it becomes the "present" and the story is told in real time again.

the beginning is the late middle portion of the story. he's making his way back to the shack before the plane is rebuilt. once he gets there, and they start working on it again, it becomes the "present" and the story is told in real time again.

Apparently I am not the only one to think so. It is not the middle portion. Watch that scene again. He definitely looks older than the '3 yrs later' part. Maybe I should go watch it again to see if he is wearing the same clothes to fit with your theory
Edit: I watched bits of it and noticed another thing, - it is winter when he goes back to build the plane and summer in the start.

I hope you are correct, but what did Hiroki mean by this, 'It was before the war, when the huge island called Ezo was still a foreign territory'. IIRC it was still a foreign territory in the middle of the movie. Wouldn't it stop being one, only after the finale?

hmm, i don't know. i believed for the longest time that the beginning was actually later on in the timeline. but then some people pointed out a few things and i started to think the other way. i guess because in my head, if the beginning really is the "present" after the end, that would mean that Sayuri died. (which probably isn't true, but w/e)

hmm, i don't know. i believed for the longest time that the beginning was actually later on in the timeline. but then some people pointed out a few things and i started to think the other way. i guess because in my head, if the beginning really is the "present" after the end, that would mean that Sayuri died. (which probably isn't true, but w/e)

He looks sad, so if the beginning is the end they are probably not together anymore

Just rewatched this and decided to look for some discussion about the movie...

And tis true . Hiroki in the intro definitely looks much older than the end of the movie. The face is longer and has the more angular lines of an adult. The intro also has a quick scene of him passing by (stopping by?) a graveyard. And the tower is missing from the view of the sky. So in the end, chronologically, this is yet another Shinkai bittersweet ending.

The optimist in me will probably say that the adult Hiroki is visiting that area on some government business and Sayuri is happily waiting for him at home .

*Claps* This was a really strong movie, and the whole thing is pretty depressing. What's even worse that despite the appearance of a happy ending that there's an upcoming war, and that's gonna suck.

Personally, I preferred the 1st half over the 2nd half, as the world altering elements never really got into me. I was way more interested in the concept of loss and how Hiroki and Takuya remembered their promise with Sayuri, But I guess it came together at the end. And understandably, the story is about the 3 leads' conflicts. So what needed to be resolved was resolved.

I was sorta expecting more exploration (not necessarily exposition) of the world around them, and the ending was like hmm... but at least it was hopeful.

And of course, great atmosphere, but that goes without saying. It also has Masato Hagiwara's cool voice XD

I think I'll pop it with an 8.5/10, not exactly mindblowing and it didn't get me too attached, but solid in every conceivable way. Very good storytelling is invaluable for anime today, and this would be one of the better examples.

The dream ends, but this is only the beginning...

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